Hand-printing guide



'J'. P. TENNEY. HAND PRINTING GUIDE.

v(No Medel.)

Petented Feb. 26, 1895' e m W me mams Pcrzns co. Preoovwmo., wAsHmc.

JAMES F. TENNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAND-PRINTING GUIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming partv of Letters Patent No. 534,771, dated February 26, 1 895.

Application niet August 23.1894. serial No. 521,139. (No moda.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES F. TENNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Printing Guides, -of which the following is a speciication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged d etail, being a cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

My invention relates to apparatus used in printing signs and other matter by the use of hand stamps.

It has for its object to provide an improved guide by means of which printing by means of separate hand type may be accurately done. Guides for this purpose as heretofore constructed have generally consisted of a graduated beam or rule carrying a bar arranged at right angles thereto, such bar being movable longitudinally of the rule. The type from which the impression is to be made is placed in one of the corners formed by the intersection of the rule and cross-bar, so that its position will be accurately determined. The cross-bar may then be moved to the proper point to guide the next type to its proper position. In order, therefore, to secure a true alignment of the letters or characters it is essential that the cross-bar should be so mounted upon the rule that it will be incapable of angular movement, as otherwise the printed line would not be true.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, to provide improved means for adj ustably securing the cross-bar to the rule in such manv ner that the cross-bar shall at all times and' under all conditions accurately and uniformly maintain the same fixed angle relative to the rule and at the same time be capable of being freely moved along the rule with the utmost ease and rapidity without liability of deecting either the cross-bar or the rule from their true positions.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings-a indicates a rule, and b the cross-bar, which, as here shown, is provided with arms c c projecting at opposite sides of the rule c.. I prefer to use two of such arms, but if desired only one may be used. The cross-bar bis secured in position upon the rule by means of a plate d which extends over the upper surface and sides of the rule a, as shown in Fig. 3, said platebeing securely connected to the cross-bar b.

The plate d is provided on its upper side with inwardly projecting earsI c e arranged at an angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The ears e c' are adapted to move in grooves ff extending longitudinally of the rule con the upper side thereof, as shown in Fig. l. By arranging the ears e c' and grooves ff inl the inclined manner shown,in order to apply the plate d to the rule the ears e c must be inserted in the ends of the grooves ff. By this construction accidental displacement of the plate d and arms c c' connected thereto is prevented. The grooves f f and ears e c also serve to steady the plate as it ismoved upon the rule, and hold the arms c c true. In order to further steady the plate d, it is provided at its sides with inwardly projecting ears g g', which ears are adapted to fit into grooves h h in the sides of the rule a., as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to prevent slipping of the rule and to`ho1d it out of contact with the material to be marked, it is provided with presser feet consisting of rubber strips t' which are fitted in transverse slots in the under side of the rule a, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The inter# mediate portion of each of the presser feet is cut away, as shown'in Fig. 3. The elasticity of the rubber is sufficient to hold the presser feet in place in the grooves.

By securing the cross-bar to the rule in the manner above described the cross-bar is maintained in absolutely true alignment with the rule at all times, and it may be adj usted along the rule with such extreme ease that there is absolutely no danger at all in accidentally moving the device from its true position in shifting the cross-bar along the rule to imprint the successive letters. Moreover, I am enabled to dispense with all set screws, springs, and equivalent devices for holding the cross-bar and rule to their proper adjustments, and, the grooves being quite narrow and shallow, the rule is not weakened or rendered liable to warping. I am also enabled to manufacture the device at a minimum cost,

IOO

the plate carrying the cross-bar and its fastening ears being struck up from a Single piece and at a single operation.

That which I claim as niy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a rule having an inclined longitudinal groove in its upper surface, of a U-shaped plate fitting closely over the rule and provided with a downwardly projecting inclined ear movably seated in said groove, and a transverse arm secured to said plate and projecting beyond the rule at an angle thereto, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a rule having parallel longitudinal grooves formed in its upper surface and inclined downwardly in opposite directions, of a U-shaped plated having downwardly projecting ears inclined to correspond to and InoVably seated in said grooves, and a transverse arln secured to said plate and prozo J AMES F. TENNEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. J AcKsoN, RALPH VAN DYKE. 

